Catalog: Estate Jewelry (157)

This silver buckle is so perfectly Art Nouveau and so perfectly William B. Kerr. It is 5 1/4" wide and 1 5/8" high and bears these markings: PATENTED JUNE 25, 1901; STERLING; 1564; and the fasces [maker's mark for Kerr]. It is in excellent condition, and the patina of age has been left undisturbed. Circa 1900.

This strikingly beautiful pin is an interesting mixture of the Art Nouveau and Victorian styles. The Victorians loved to use real insects in jewelry. This particular type was a favorite.The Nouveau jewelers loved naturalistic motifs, but generally didn’t incorporate organic substances – yet the design of the framework is very Nouveau. Marked “14k”, the pale gold setting contrasts nicely with the deep green of the beetle. The pin stem assembly is original...

This lovely necklace features 13 madeira citrines, 3 clusters of 3 each, and 4 set singly. (Citrine is the birthstone for November, said to bring optimism and joy into life – just what we all need!) The central cluster has a pearl dangle. The rich rose gold is marked 9ct on the clasp, but it tests as a weak 10kt (not unusual). Wearable length is 18-3/4”. It is in excellent condition...

This Victorian-style ring has a Gothic design sensibility. The elaborate prongs set off the large iolite (approx. 2 ct.) very nicely, and it includes 4 small single cut accent diamonds. The setting measures 7/8” north to south, and 3/4” east to west. Approximately size 8-1/2. It is marked 14k, the setting is rose gold and the shank is yellow gold. The stones are in excellent condition. The photos are part of the description; please examine them carefully. Thanks! We do lay-away...

Here is a coral garland (also referred to as “festoon” or “swag”) necklace, consisting of 8 coral cabuchons of graduated lengths and sizes. The three longest drops are on rigid bars. The coral is a lovely dark ox-blood red. Coral was believed to prevent bad luck, and to be an aid to meditation. The length is 15-1/4” (but it would be easy to get an extender if needed – we can help with that; just ask), and the decorated portion is 4-1/4” x 2-1/8” at the longest point...

This is an absolutely gorgeous diamond cocktail ring from the 1960s-70s. Its delicate beauty is eye-catching without being a blatant grab for attention...

We believe this lovely (unmarked but tested) 10kt gold jewel is from a time when cannetille work was the vogue because gold was scarce: very fine gold wires twisted into thin strands and then formed into rosettes and other shapes. The amethyst is a delicate shade of purple, and weighs approximately 2.5 carats – it’s very deep. (Amethysts are said to bring calm, and help banish headaches.) The whole lavalier, including the bale, measures 1-1/2 x 9/16”...

This lovely lady is made from 14k gold (there is a partial mark, so we tested it to be sure). Her face is framed by a stylized shell motif, and she has flowers and a diamond in her upswept hair, as well as another diamond nestled in her décolletage. This watch pin or brooch is of hollow construction, and weighs 4.7g. It measures 1” x 1-1/4”. The pin stem assembly is original...

This is one of our favorite rings! An elegant and lovely ring made from unmarked but tested 18k yellow gold and a sweet purplish-pink topaz. The ring is size 8, and could be resized. The topaz is set in a modified buttercup setting, with a single golden leaf curling up to meet the stone on either side, and with delicate detail work in the gold. It is in excellent condition. Topaz is thought to be a healing and energizing stone, to bring forgiveness, and promote truth...

This beautiful and classic brooch, in the style of Lucien Gautrait, features a flower and ribbon motif, with a circle of white enamel in the center. The pearl on the dangle may be a replacement (many dangles have had to be replaced over the years)...

This is an amazingly modern-looking Art Nouveau necklace. A total of seven garnets, two round, two oval, two square, and one teardrop, are mounted in 14 k gold. The square and teardrop garnets depend from the round stones and add movement to the design. The central dropper is studded with tiny seed pearls. The necklace is 15”long and the piece is unmarked. It dates from 1900-1920 and is a true antique beauty.

This watch pin is made of marked and tested 14k gold, many seed pearls, and 2 accent diamonds. It has a leaf motif, and 2 little flowers with heart-shaped petals, and we think it’s just beautiful. It measures 1-1/8 x 1-1/4" and weighs 6.9g. One seed pearl was missing, so we had it replaced. The pin stem assembly is original. In excellent condition, and circa 1910. The photos are part of the description; please examine them carefully. Thanks! We do lay-away. Shipping, handling & insurance wi...

Fit for a museum, this rare and wonderful Egyptian Revival pin has a portrait painted on porcelain. It is mounted in 800 silver and surrounded by 16 coral beads on wire. There have been some repairs [not visible from the front] as is so common in jewelry repaired in the 19th century. 1 1/4" diameter. Circa 1875.

Here is a lovely antique ring in unmarked but tested 18kt rose gold. The center stone is a ruby cut in an old style, but in really excellent condition. (It’s possible that it’s a replacement stone.) It is surrounded by 8 rose cut and more randomly-cut diamonds which are definitely original, and which might be foiled, but in any case are in a closed-back setting. Typically for the period, a couple of them are chipped or have feathers (inclusions). The ring is a size 8-1/4, and could be sized...

This Victorian pin is a gorgeous Egyptian Revival design executed in plique a jour (translucent) enamel framed in gilded silver. The design is a noble vulture holding feathers with lotus blossoms in his (or her) talons. The vulture’s wings are detailed in both opaque and translucent enamels; the tops of the wings are opaque enamel in yellowish green, and the feathers are detailed in yellow-green plique a jour shading to burnt orange. The body of the vulture is a matching yellowish-green ‘sto...

This fabulous bracelet by Schaverien & Eastmead of Birmingham, England, is 7” long and 3/8” wide at the widest points. Each panel features enamel shading from dark green to pale green to magenta and back again. In between each panel is a round blister pearl. Each connecting link has a hard-to-read mark, probably a lion, also the marks for Birmingham, 1909, and “S&E”. The clasp has a safety chain. One enamel panel has a very small black spot, and one has a tiny chip in the enamel, barely ...

This sweet brooch depicts two adorable cupids, a boy and a girl, looking serene and loving. Their plique a jour (translucent enamel) wings are a pale purple or mauve color, nicely complimenting the 900 silver. The girl is wearing a tiny necklace of roses. The pin measures 1” x 1-3/4” and weighs 5.7g. The clasp might be a replacement, but the rest is all original, and the pin is in excellent antique condition. It is stamped “DEPOSE” (“patent or registration in France,” but other count...

This beautiful pendant/pin has a stylized floral motif, with enamel that shades from green to yellow, in a design reminiscent of a French fleur-de-lis. It is centered by a small diamond (approx. 5 points), surrounded by a pearl-set modified starburst which accents the enameled “petals.” In 14k rose gold, it measures 1” in diameter at the widest point. The bale folds down nicely when it’s worn as a pin. We had the enamel touched up a little at the edges, to restore it to its original exce...